Life is a Dream of a Dream
"Immantent Narrative, I would place myself at the mercy of the court." Sapphire-Rose of Dusk's Countless Imagined Stars in Bloom, Anarch-Panjundrum of the Opal Court of the stars in Splendor spoke, her own legend swirling around the lesser chaos scions, but careful not to let it touch the court officials. "The court recognizes Sapphire-Rose of Dusk's stars, officer of the prior Opal Court. Heart-grace of mine, be brief, but thourough." Sapphire-Rose stiffened, having the Constable flirt at you on the official record seldom boded anything good.
"Life is a Dream of a Dream was scheduled for a Wyld March March through the eastern cross-spinward sector, Long Night had him arrayed with the Tiara of Ketu's Tears, wondering if his mortal weaknesses could be palliated with enough sorcery.
He has been showing steady progress in seeing through simple illusions from Shivering Solstice and was making progress on Cruel Cold Stars Unending's.
The plan this time was for him to go east, past the simulated clouds of Tambrion, but our hunting foray into Nexus captured a pack of slaves. When we presented the captives, he surprised their handlers, unshaped them using the Tiara, and fled through the portal. Long Night was close by."
"Thank you, my heart, Long Night, handmaiden of Sapphire Stars, we expect your testimony."
"May it please this court, I will testify to what I saw. Life is a Dream of a Dream walked towards the slaves, there was a loud noise.
When dream reached them, Life is a Dream of a Dream brandished an official document from this court, requisitioning the new meat.
I asked him how this could be, he said it was required by his dreams, that this was foretold and that he needed to go. This wasn't unusual, we all know his dreams are how he powers his sorcery.
I tried to stop him, but the document, which I thought to be fake, flared like an original, and stunned me into submission.
I reached into his toughts, as I was thought, and heard our old enemy, Sol Invictus, saying: 'You chose courage once, when you gave your life for many. You chose courage twice, when you chose to leave behind the Illusion of Happiness for the Reality of Freedom. I honor that choice, and would have you continue to reflect that virtue, and every other, on a benighted world in need of their light.' I suspect it was a powerful memory of his, at that moment, I passed out, probably from the influence inside his mind, it did not belong there."
"I would call Cruel Cold Stars Unending to the stand."
"Yes, my lord?"
"You were the senior shaped present, besides my lady, what did you see?"
"I was preparing for my part in the trials, sequestered in my tower, I only know of what happened from what I've been told."
"Why did you not pursue them?"
"We did, but the cat forest appeared and obliterated their tracks." "This court is adjourned. We will reconvene after the ritual to the purple moon."
After my escape from the Fair Folk, I ran with a caravan for a bit, doing what needed doing, mostly mending up people who'd gotten hurt, but sometimes also defending a caravanmate who attracted the wrong kind of attention. Crane style got handy for that. I owe my life to that Mahalankan Sifu who thought me, but he didn't make it...
I dreamed once, of a great borderland battle, only it wasn't a dream, it was a memory of another life. I had been different, greater then. My three souls much more hungry for glory, much more in tune with the Unconquered Sun. I had such peers with me, as well, and with us was a vast army, blotting out wyld's odd equivalent of nature for leagues. At our head was the peerless Dawn General, with us were Artemis Rose, Platinum-Feather Kuthon and Sun's Radiant Majesty, members and friend of our perfect circle. Members of the unconquered sun's peerless host all. All with a part to play in the battle, from summoning primordial combatants, fighting themselves, to, like me, maintaining and commanding the Sorcerous Mechaniks of Empire, dispatching Essence Reaver, a newly invented gun, not unlike a soulbreaker orb better adapted to the wyld. In my dream, Sapphire-Rose of Dusk's Countless Imagined Stars in Bloom knew me, or at least, knew of me. Though she had never met Breaking Idea of Illumination, I'm certain of it. She has only met Life is a Dream of a Dream, this pale copy. But the ways of the fair folk are strange at the best of times, and while it was in the bordermarches that we met in battle, she has been much deeper, fighting with Ketu in the deepest reaches of the Wyld for her Liege. Moondapple also has been deep into that place, and emerged changed, it is not safe, not for would-be normal folks. But going back to her, haunting me through my dreams is the least of the tricks, the way she can tell me she's kept an eye on me, so I must remain vigilant. The monster I know is letting me know it's not forgotten me. I miss Pageantry of Rhiannon, the star of stars, it's odd, I thought it'd be a marriage of convenience, or politics, but she's just so involved into other people, caring about them... I lied to the caravan, I told them I was from Great Forks, while I am from Sanazala Ford, a tiny, peaceful village. That's where the Raksha found me, traded for me, I was bought, upon me they put the mark of the slave, the thrall. The meat. I was taken to the grazing lands of the Opal Court, in the wyld. Oh they pretended I was more, that I was their guest, that I was marrying one of their own. But it was a sham, not that Pageantry of Rhiannon, the star of stars was anything but what had been advertised. No, it's just that I was meant to be meat, and the wedding, the training sessions were all distractions from their feeding. And their lies, they lie to one another almost like breathing, it's their food, giving them energy to become greater, better versions of themselves. Sapphire-Rose of Dusk's Countless Imagined Stars in Bloom, Anarch-Panjundrum of the Opal Court of the stars in Splendor, though, was the worse, most horrible of them. Intending to use me, and my exalted powers, to kill others of her kind, undetectably, through their dreams. She doesn't look like much, like a garden statue, or a doll such that a child might play with, reaching barely to one's thigh. But in the Wyld, the body is a plaything to the mind, and hers is like a great raptor, soaring faster than most when needed, and gliding to conserve energy when there are no targets to consume.
Physical Description
Physical quirks
Always looks half-asleep.
Apparel & Accessories
Personality Characteristics
Savvies & Ineptitudes
Only in dreams do I fight the Raksha on a level field.
Relationships
Pageantry of Rhiannon, the star of stars
Wife (Trivial)Towards Life is a Dream of a Dream
-4
4
Subversive
Life is a Dream of a Dream
Husband (Important)Towards Pageantry of Rhiannon, the star of stars
2
2
Honest
Current Location
Ethnicity
Spouses
Siblings
Children
Pronouns
He/Him
Sex
Male
Eyes
Purple
Hair
Black Hair
Skin Tone/Pigmentation
Deep-East Brown
Comments